Cracks appear in BJP
Differences in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Women’s Reservation Bill came out in the open on Thursday with some MPs reportedly deciding to go against the party line by defying the whip.
Reliable sources told Deccan Herald that party MP Hukum Dev Narayan from Madhubani, Bihar, strongly opposed the Bill in it’s current form saying “woman is first known by her caste and later as mother, sister or daughter.”
Also, he strongly advocated a separate Other Backward Castes quota within the women’s quota.
It is reported that arguments flew thick and fast in a meeting of the BJP MPs and top leaders, with some members openly suggesting that they would defy the party whip if it was issued during the Bill’s passage in the Lok Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and former party chief Rajnath Singh attended the meeting.
Call for internal democracy
BJP MP from Gorakhpur Adityanath spoke of “internal democracy in the party” saying all decisions cannot be taken by the central leadership and representatives of people should also be taken into confidence and there should be an internal discussion on the Bill.
It is understood that L K Advani, chairman of the BJP Parliamentary party, intervened and assured the members that “the whip would be issued only after consultation with all the members”.
However, in a press meet held later, the party leaders played down the differences and announced that everybody will have to go by the party’s decision. Speaking to newspersons after the meeting, Swaraj said: “We will issue a whip to the party MPs when the Bill comes up in the Lok Sabha.”
Murli Manohar Joshi, another senior leader, said differences of opinion are not totally unnatural in a party. However, once the BJP takes a stand, everybody will have to abide by the decision.
“In a democratic party, members may have different opinions on an issue and these can be discussed.
But on the Bill, the party has taken a stand and everybody will have to adhere to it,” Joshi said.
